the cave was barely big enough to fit her, and a skull was next to her.she might’ve been scared to death if she was less courageous.

　　were those ghosts the ones who were supporting nan ningxin?

　　did they capture her in order to eliminate her?

　　were they punishing her for ruining their attempt to seize the murong family?

　　there was no one around when gu bailu woke up. she seemed to have been left on her own.

　　there was no food in the cave, although there were bugs and ants every now and then.

　　gu bailu didn’t know how much time had passed. she only knew that she was getting hungrier and hungrier and that her mouth was getting dry, but still nobody showed up.

　　she tried to look around with the heavenly eye, but she couldn’t see anything but darkness.

　　gu bailu had never suffered like this before.

　　even when she had to cook and wash clothes for mr. xiao, she still had food and water.

　　when she thought that she was going to die of thirst, a hole opened in the cave, and a bowl of water was put down on the other side. “little garbage, are you thirsty? do you want water?”

　　the voice was hoarse and nasty, and could easily scare a kid to tears.

　　“yes…” gu bailu said without hesitation. she was scared that she might die if she didn’t have water.

　　“give me the heavenly star map, and you can have water,” said the stranger.

　　gu bailu perked up. negotiation meant hope. she had been afraid that they were only going to torture her and didn’t want anything from her.

　　“what… what heavenly star map?”

　　she wasn’t acting; she truly didn’t know what the heavenly star map was.

　　however, whoever captured her must think that she had it.

　　“the map that your mother left you. don’t tell me you don’t know where it is. we’ve searched your stepmother. the one on her is fake.”

　　they had already been to ye yunshu?

　　ye yunshu must’ve said that gu bailu had it.

　　what had gu bailu’s mother left behind?

　　“i… i do have it…”

　　her only hope for survival lay in if she had what they wanted, so she had to pretend that she had it even if she didn’t.

　　“tell me where it is. we’ll give you food and water when we find it.”

　　“can i… have some water first?”

　　the stranger snorted, not scared that she might be lying. after all, she had been left alone for days.

　　the bowl of water was sent through the hole, and gu bailu craned her head to drink.

　　after only one mouthful, the man took the bowl back.

　　“you can get more water after you tell us.”

　　“i already destroyed the map, but i still remember it…” the man was gone before gu bailu finished speaking.

　　gu bailu felt slightly desperate. why did the man go? did he not believe her?

　　she didn’t have the real map anymore, but she had memorized it. the one which ye yunshu had was a counterfeit.

　　soon, footsteps approached once again, and a brush and a piece of paper were delivered through the hole. “draw it out. you’ll die if you can’t.”

　　“i… i’m tied up.”

　　the hole opened a little wider, and a man in a mask untied the gold rope that bound her hands.

　　gu bailu tried to get the blood in her hands flowing, but the brush slipped out of her grip the moment she picked it up.

　　“i… i’m really too weak to draw anything…”

　　the man spat on the ground. “you’re truly troublesome.”

　　he hauled her through the hole and into a dark passage with one hand.

　　the further she went, the creepier she found the place.